Monthly Archives: May 2009

Greens look like main beneficiaries of anti-sleaze protest vote – as polls indicate Greens are up, UKIP and BNP down

A YouGov poll to be published this week (1) suggests the British public trusts Green politicians far more than those of other parties.

Over 2,000 people were asked – regardless of the party they normally voted for – which party’s politicians they thought were most likely to put their own financial interests before the interests of their country. Allowed to choose three parties, only 5% named the Greens as likely to put self-interest before the country’s.

On the mistrust scale:Labour appeared to be the least trusted, with 45% of respondents naming Labour politicians as likely to put financial self-interest before their country.The Conservatives were almost as bad, with 40% naming them.Next were the BNP, the LibDems and UKIP on 20%, 16% and 15% respectively.The new poll was released in the same week that campaign group Open Europe rated the Green Party’s leader Caroline Lucas as the joint best British MEP on accountability, transparency and reform. The bottom nine places in the Open Europe survey were occupied by four Conservatives and five UKIP MEPs – with the tenth-worst British MEP slot being held jointly by UKIP leader Nigel Farage and an MEP each from Labour, the Conservatives and the LibDems.

Voter-intention polls show Greens are up, UKIP and BNP down

The Greens say that while there’s much talk of an anti-sleaze protest vote going to the racist BNP, in fact the opinion polls are showing the Green Party to be a far more likely recipient of any protest vote.The ComRes poll of 17 May, commissioned by UKIP, put the Greens on 11% and the BNP on just 4%.The ComRes poll put the Greens on 13% across Northern England – easily enough for Green candidate Peter Cranie to defeat BNP leader Nick Griffin in the North West contest.The ComRes poll showed the Greens in third place in the South East, ready to return party leader Caroline Lucas MEP and scoop up a second seat for Brighton councillor Keith Taylor.The next day a YouGov poll commissioned by the Green Party suggested 34% would either definitely vote Green or would consider voting Green in the Euro-elections.And the Guardian/ICM poll of 22 May put the Greens on 9% – just behind UKIP (10%) but way ahead of the BNP (1%).The Guardian/ICM poll showed a Green increase of 50% compared with the actual 2004 vote (up from 6% to 9%) while UKIP was down 60% (from 16% to 10%) and the BNP vote was cut by about four-fifths (down from 5% to 1%).

The Greens point out that polls ahead of Euro-elections usually under-estimate the Green Party. In 1989 the Greens were showing in the polls at about 7-8% but their actual vote turned out to be 15%.

The Greens believe their million-jobs manifesto for tackling the recession and the climate crisis at the same time has probably struck a chord with a lot of people.

Notes:

1. Poll commissioned by the Green Party and conducted by YouGov. Fieldwork 13-15 May 2009. Sample size 2,111. The exact question was: “Regardless of the party you usually vote for, which party’s politicians do you think are most likely to put their own financial interests ahead of the interests of the country? [Please tick up to three.]”

Green Party Lead MEP Candidate for the Eastern Region, Cllr. Rupert Read, brought his party’s Big Green Bus-a converted routemaster touring bus that now runs on a mix of recycled cooking oil and bio diesel fuel-to Hertfordshire on Wednesday, 27 May, to promote the Green Party’s European Election manifesto. The bus could be heard rolling through the towns of Harlow, Ware, and Hertford, it’s PA system projecting details of the Party’s plan to create 100,000 new jobs in sustainable energy, energy conservation, and transport as part of its ‘Green New Deal’.

The bus tour, which passed through Essex on Tuesday and visits Bedfordshire on Thursday, is another element of a ramped up campaign strategy aimed at taking advantage of the recent surge of support many polls show them to enjoy. Several of the Party’s MEP candidates have joined county council candidates to highlight the likelihood that, with continued support, the Greens will achieve the 10% of the popular vote needed under the proportional representation system to secure the East Region its first Green MEP.

Please contace Matt Lavery, who is on tour with the bus through the 28th, with any questions. He can be reaced on 07731 648961, or via e-mail (mattlav10@gmail.com) at the end of each day.

With the Euro elections less than a fortnight away, a survey by the independent think tank, Open Europe, has ranked Caroline in joint first place on transparency and reform.

UKIP’s MEPs filled FIVE of the bottom 9 places amongst UK MEPs.

All 785 MEPs were given scores for their records over the last five year term – including scrutiny of their expenses.

Marks were given in 20 categories including voting records, attendance, written declarations, and a failed attempt to get taxpayers to top up their pension contributions.

Open Europe monitored a range of MEPs’ activities, including voting records, written declarations, and whether MEPs opposed “wasteful activities”.

Caroline Lucas scored 43 points, along with two Scottish MEPs, putting them in joint tenth place out of 785 MEPs and at the top of the UK table.

A Swedish Green MEP, Carl Schlyter, won the most points – 55 out of a possible 58 and the far-right Italian MEP Roberto Fiore came bottom scoring just 2 points.

Green Party leader Dr Caroline Lucas MEP, said she was delighted with the result which,

“shows more clearly than ever that if people want to see greater democracy, transparency and accountability in parliament, the best way of achieving that is to vote Green on 4 June.”

Open Europe’s Research Director Mats Persson said :

“They might talk a good game at home, but too many British MEPs have voted against transparency and EU reform on a number of occasions. What we need now is a new generation of politicians, committed to acting in the public interest and pushing for a much better deal for taxpayers at all levels of government – including EU level.”

The Green Party’s lead candidate for the East of England in next month’s European elections, Dr Rupert Read, will be giving his backing to a long delayed windfarm when he visits the proposed site on Friday May 29th.

The planning battle over the development at Airfield Farm, Podington, next to the Santa Pod drag-racing track in Bedfordshire, is documented as one of the real-life stories in the new feature film “The Age of Stupid”. The film stars Pete Postlethwaite as “The Archivist”, who looks back in time from a ravaged planet Earth in 2055 asking why we didn’t stop climate change when we had the chance.

The film documents objections to the original proposal for nine turbines at Airfield Farm, a proposal rejected by planners in 2007 after a campaign by local people. Now the developers, Nuon Renewables, have submitted a revised plan for three turbines producing enough clean energy for three thousand homes. This application is currently being processed by Bedford Borough Council.

Dr Read will visit Airfield Farm with Demelza Stevenson, who will explain how the company’s plans have been modified to take account of earlier objections so that the scheme can go forward.

Rupert Read is a wholehearted supporter of the development. One of his stated aims if elected as the East of England’s first Green MEP on June 4th would be to work to turn the region into a hub for the development of renewable energy of all kinds, including wind, tidal and solar power as the best way to stave off the damaging effects of man-made climate change, so graphically illustrated in “The Age of Stupid”.

Dr Read said

“When projects like this get the green light, it’s a great thing: that’s what we need to happen here. That’s why I am visiting on the 29th to back this project. Having spent months campaigning on the doorstep, I get a real sense that people want more investment into the creation of green jobs, which projects like this would provide. Now, more than ever, people are looking for job- and energy- security. I hope to be able to continue fighting for those goals as an MEP after June 4th; and I will continue to support projects like Airfield Farm where a better future is being created, on the ground and in the air”.

Rupert Read will be available for interview at 1030am on Friday May 29th at Airfield Farm, Podington.

Directions to the site, and further information about the windfarm project, can be found at:

The East of England Green Party is taking to the road between May 26th and 28th on the Big Green Bus Tour as part of its campaign to win a seat in the European Parliament at the June 4th elections.

The bus is a vintage Routemaster fuelled with recycled cooking oil.

Green candidates and supporters will be travelling on the bus, with lots of stops planned for campaigning in the towns and villages along the route.

The Tour starts at South Ockendon on the morning of Tuesday 26th May, before moving on to Stanford-le-hope. In the afternoon the bus will arrive in Basildon, before moving on to Brentwood and then Epping Forest, where the days events end.

On Wednesday 27th May, the first visit is to Epping town centre, followed by multiple stops around Epping Forest.The bus moves on to Harlow at lunchtime, followed by Ware and then Hertford in the afternoon. The days events end at Welwyn Garden City.

On Thursday 28th May, the tour restarts from Welwyn Garden City town centre in the morning before moving on to Stevenage. The bus reaches Luton at lunchtime before continuing on to St. Albans. The day, and the tour, ends at Watford.

See UKIP’s Nigel Farage exposed on The Daily Politics for (according to Dennis MacShane, admittedly not the most reliable knife in the drawer) claiming £2 Million in expenses during his time as an MEP:

The BNP’s ugly freepost leaflet came through my door yesterday. My suspicions were aroused when I saw the photo on it of a doctor purportedly voting BNP; I wondered whether any real doctor would take the risk of identifying himself as a BNP supporter, across the Region / the nation; I thought it unlikely. Turns out I was right: